BOSTON (AP) — Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy scored in the shootout and the Boston Bruins snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars on Monday.
Marchand kept Boston’s bid alive in the shootout after Dallas took a 1-0 lead. McAvoy put the Stars in a position where they needed to score, but Jeremy Swayman stopped 8 of 9 shots in the shootout and finished the game with 43 saves.
Bruins forward David Pastrnak tied the game on a 6-on-5 advantage with 1:45 remaining in regulation. The forward wired in a one-timer from the left circle for his 35th goal of the season after McAvoy got the Dallas defense to commit to the Bruins defenseman.
Dallas defenseman Esa Lindell snapped a 2-2 tie with 9:16 left in the third period after keeping the puck on a 2-on-1 break for his fifth goal of the season. Wyatt Johnston and Ryan Suter also scored in regulation for Dallas while Jake Oettinger made 26 saves.
Boston’s Justin Brazeau scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game while Jesper Boqvist also scored.
Boston’s first two goals were generated by the fourth line. Anthony Richard connected with Boqvist, who sped down the right side before cutting to the net for a goal that put the Bruins up 1-0. Boqvist factored in the goal that tied the game at 2-2 in the second period as he threw it to the front from behind the net and Brazeau scored one day after getting signed to his first NHL contract.
Johnston tied it in the first and Suter gave Dallas a 2-1 lead early in the second period. The defenseman unleashed a shot from outside the left circle that beat Swayman glove side.
Before the game, Boston recognized Marchand for recently skating in his 1,000th NHL game. Part of the celebration included video messages from the seven other players who appeared in 1,000 games with the Bruins. More video tributes poured in during one of the stoppages in the first period, as several of Marchand’s former teammates expressed congratulations.
Also acknowledging Marchand’s game-playing milestone was Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby, who said he much prefers being Marchand’s linemate for Team Canada over playing against the Boston captain. Marchand and Crosby were linemates when Canada captured the 2016 World Cup.
Never one to shy away from getting under the skin of an opponent, Marchand dropped the gloves with Dallas defenseman Joel Hanley with 39.3 seconds left in the first period. Hanley was first to be dropped as Bruins fans cheered Marchand as he headed off the ice.
UP NEXT
Stars: At New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
Bruins: At Edmonton on Wednesday night for the first game of a four-game road trip.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
